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Chinese/Dictionary entry

指鹿为马

zhǐ lù wéi mǎdictionary entry
DEFINITION CC-CEDICT
making a deer out to be a horse (idiom) / deliberate misrepresentation
Sources & editorial notes

Reference definitions: CC-CEDICT contributors and MDBG, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source release 2026-10-27T01:55:52Z. Imported 2026-10-27. Definition wording and meaning order are retained. Recognized pronunciation references are displayed with tone marks; the original source record is available below.

Source record: cd-2b88d8c5f9486e1d. Source SHA-256: bbc4b27f26bee1a262f4d7939667a040c7857c7fc0200a2fa7a86d3352a09eae.

Original source entry:

指鹿為馬 指鹿为马 [zhi3 lu4 wei2 ma3] /making a deer out to be a horse (idiom); deliberate misrepresentation/

Reference definitions and teaching material have separate provenance.

Reference information

The definitions above are from CC-CEDICT. Examples and usage notes are available on selected entries.

Character information

View the individual characters. Their meanings do not necessarily explain the meaning of the whole word.

Other forms in these source records: 指鹿為馬

  • 指
    zhǐ

    finger / to point at or to / to indicate or refer to / to depend on / to count on / (of hair) to stand on end

  • 鹿
    lù

    deer

  • 为
    wéi

    as (in the capacity of) / to take sth as / to act as / to serve as / to behave as / to become / to be / to do / by (in the passive voice)

    wèi

    because of / for / to

  • 马
    mǎ

    horse / CL:匹[pǐ] / horse or cavalry piece in Chinese chess / knight in Western chess

    Mǎ

    surname Ma / abbr. for Malaysia 馬來西亞|马来西亚[Mǎ lái xī yà]

Reference definitions from CC-CEDICT.